Graham Elliot Bowles

He has a penchant for lining up spices alphabetically and wiping counters non-stop. But don't let that obsession with order fool you: Graham Elliot Bowles is a cowboy of sorts — a chef who likes adventure and simplicity, freedom and honesty.

Like some of the great Chicago chefs before him, Mr. Bowles cooked his way through many a kitchen before landing in his new home, Graham Elliot restaurant on Huron Street.

He began in Dallas in 1997, studying Southwestern cuisine, before coming to Chicago to work for Charlie Trotter and, later, Rick Tramonto at Tru. Mr. Bowles found his niche at Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, where he became known for "foilipops" (fois gras speared like a Tootsie Pop), Cheez-It cracker garnishes and Twinkie croutons.

Last year, after garnering four-star awards, he went out on his own, eventually opening Graham Elliot in June. That was a brave move, says Grant Achatz, head chef at Chicago's Alinea. "Taking that on during this economic period shows well," he says.

At his new restaurant, Mr. Bowles initially shelved the fine-dining apron that had drawn him national attention in favor of more-accessible food and wine pairings. But he quickly found fans missed the creative touches he had brought to Avenues.

So he reverted to what he knows and loves best: creating art-inspired food.

"I go to museums and try to get inspiration from art and incorporate it into the restaurant," says Mr. Bowles, who also plays guitar and writes poetry (menu items are listed like a haiku).

Dining at his restaurant, he says, is like "coming into my house, and I want you to enjoy my music and my décor. It's not just a restaurant where you come to eat. It's symbolic and representative of whose restaurant it is."